A functional behavior assessment is a process for identifying events in the environment that reliably precede (i.e., antecedents) and follow (i.e., consequences) problem behavior. This information is used to develop an intervention plan. There are two types of antecedents—triggers and setting events. Triggers are antecedent events that happen just before the behavior and seem to push it to happen while setting events can occur at a time removed before the behavior (hours or even days) and set the whole chain in motion. Setting events are not always affecting problem behavior, and they can be difficult to understand and to identify. However, when they are playing a role, it is important that they be included in the functional behavior assessment because support plans will need to incorporate them to be effective. In this article, we describe setting events, discussing how they work and why. We then explain how setting events might be identified, and how they can be incorporated into intervention planning.
